About

I’m Alex, and this is my little corner of the internet. Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m passionate about words and stories and their power to make everyone feel just a little less alone in this big world.

In February, I decided I missed my version of tolerable “small-town” living and moved back to Columbia, Mo., to work for my alma mater, the University of Missouri. My job is cool because I’m constantly learning practical things while editing publications written by Mizzou faculty, usually on agriculture topics. Missourians use Extension as a valuable information resource every day, and it’s fun to be a part of. The other day I edited a publication on the effects of high temperatures on bull semen, so if you’re breeding bulls and have any questions, I’m your girl.

Because I’m an editor, I’ve been afraid to do the whole blogging thing, because let’s face it: the blog world is full of people making big mistakes: Oversharing, writing a very opinionated and reactionary post, using someone in their life as a pawn for their story, etc. I am my own biggest critic when it comes to my writing, and posting things for the world to see has been something I’ve shied away from for the past few years, because I don’t want to make those mistakes for the world to see!

But I love reading blogs, and lately I’ve been convicted that I’m a blogger sideline critic in the worst way. Not anymore. This quote from Brené Brown’s book Rising Strong kicked me in the gut:

“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time. Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

So here I am. I promise to be vulnerable and real, and I promise I’ll keep it lighthearted and fun along the way, too. I hope I can make you laugh (or courtesy chuckle at least), and maybe by sharing my heart here you’ll be able to say “me too.”